Berlin’s Buzziest New Restaurant, and Other Big Food Trends

Berlin sommelier Billy Wagner tells us what’s new and notable in Berlin’s dining scene, and lets us in on some of his favorite spots.

Berlin is becoming one of the most vibrant food cities in Europe—in no small part thanks to restaurateur Billy Wagner. As the owner and sommelier of Noblehart & Schmutzig, the city’s most hyped restaurant since well before it opened in mid-February, he’s helping to forge a new culinary identity for the German capital; it’s a quest shared by baristas, bartenders, soms, and chefs alike to blend respect for heritage with a new drive to invent.

But Wagner is no newcomer to the Berlin culinary scene. Before striking out on his own, he was the sommelier at Michelin-starred Rutz Restaurant & Wine Bar, where he won accolades and created his own wine line, Rutz Rebellen (“Rutz Rebels”). Wagner’s passion for wine runs deep, but not narrow: His eclectic knowledge extends to beer, coffee, cocktails and, of course, food. We asked Wagner to give us the lowdown on Berlin’s dining scene and send us to the best new spots to eat and drink.

The Buzziest New Restaurant

Though he's too humble to admit it, the local buzz is all about Nobelhart & Schmutzig, Wagner’s ambitious new venture with chef Micha Schäfer, a young culinary talent whose embrace of Nordic cuisine’s distinctive locavorism has guided the new restaurant’s “vocally local” approach.

With a tasting menu of 10 hyper-seasonal courses—including, in early March, trout with smoked potato purée, earthy Jerusalem artichokes with black pudding sausage, and a rich confit of lamb's neck—Nobelhart & Schmutzig highlights the region's surprising range of locally sourced products. “We see it as our responsibility to support producers in and around Berlin,” says Wagner. The menu also lets him showcase his flair for beverage pairings, from German Riesling and Weissburgunder to quality Italian Lambrusco, local craft beers and offbeat apple and pear ciders.

The Latest Food Trends

Pastrami, Pulled Pork, and BBQ

New York is Berlin's not-so-secret mistress, so it's no surprise to find that stalwart of the New York deli—pastrami on rye—provoking swooning across the German capital. Berliners' favorite pastrami fix comes from Mogg & Melzer. Located in a former Jewish school in the Mitte neighborhood, Mogg & Melzer is as close to a New York-style deli as you're likely to find east of the Rhine, though neither of the owners are from New York. The menu features home-cured and smoked pastrami sandwiches and very little else. But Berliners aren't obsessed with pastrami alone; they’ve taken to other classic American fare as well. Should you find yourself jonesing for ribs or pulled pork, places like Chicago Williams BBQ and Big Stuff BBQ (which boasts a smoker from Tennessee) can help, doling out BBQ brisket, “Chicago Berlin style” ribs, Philly cheesesteaks, and even baked beans and coleslaw.

Latin American food

While Berlin has a number of Southeast Asian restaurants, Wagner admits that it lacked good Mexican food until Neta opened last year in the Mitte. Neta serves up authentic Mexican and Tex Mex street fare, including burritos, tacos, and quesadillas, along with an enticing selection of cocktails and mezcal. Cevicheria, in the hip Kreuzberg neighborhood, is another favorite on Wagner’s list, with its simple yet sophisticated Peruvian-style cuisine, including the best ceviche in town.

After the fall of the wall, Berlin—a city always known for its vibrant, innovative culture—has slowly become an epicenter of German cuisine’s reinvention, led by a handful of restaurants that bring surprising invention to traditional German food. One of Wagner’s favorites is Horváth, where Austrian chef Sebastian Frank’s take on regional German cuisine blends rustic clarity with sophisticated wit. Another is La Soupe Populaire. Located in an old brewery, it’s both an art gallery and a funky restaurant run by star Berlin chef Tim Raue. But the French name is deceptive; the menu—originally planned to revolve around temporary art exhibitions in the gallery—now also features modern versions of Berlin classics like mustard eggs, Berlin-style liver, and königsberger klopse (veal meatballs).

The Best Street Food

Wagner’s favorite place to grab a bite while shopping for his restaurant is MarketHalle Neun in the Kreuzberg neighborhood, a farmer’s market mashed up with a street food fair. You can enjoy traditional German snacks, mezze, or BBQ; wash it down with local beer (Thirsty Lady is Wagner’s choice); and stock up on quality produce. Another favorite: Neue Heimat’s Berlin Village Market, in the Friedrichshain neighborhood in former East Berlin. Every weekend an old train station fills with food, drinks, and live music in a boho-industrial setting that’s very Berlin. Happiness is a stroll through the station with a pulled pork sandwich or a Taiwanese steamed bun in one hand and a local craft beer in the other.

Where to Get a Great Cocktail

Two places top the list for great cocktails in the city. At Croco Bleu, “barchef” Michael Hanke is the resident wizard, running experiments that range from using vintage spirits and liqueurs to make classic cocktails like Martinis, Manhattans and Old Fashioneds to infusing his own tequila, vodka, gin, and sake to create original cocktails—like the Mirabelle Margarita, made with Reposado Tequila infused with Mirabelle plums and aged in wooden barrels. Lost in Grub Street is an even more unusual bar. You won't find traditional cocktails on its list. Instead, the bartenders offer a huge selection of old-fashioned punches (“big bowls”), along with completely original “short drinks” that you choose based on ingredients and flavors. They infuse their own schnapps and use only spirits and liqueurs made by small producers—no big brands here.

The Trendy Wine Bar

In the last 20 years, Berliners have become much more knowledgeable about wine and are more likely to drink German wines. So it’s not surprising that there are many great wine bars in the city, offering everything from Rieslings to Spätburgunders (Pinot Noir), along with the more expected French and Italian options. The most coveted spot, however, is at Cordobar, a small storefront in the Mitte neighborhood that pairs amazing German and Austrian whites and reds with really good, Mediterranean-inflected food, from sole with dukkah and preserved lemon to pork shoulder with parsley and dates. The wines are natural or biodynamic and the bar owners handpick the producers they work with for their authentic approach to winemaking.